Definition of separationnext
1
2
as in distinction
the state of being kept distinct the separation of church and state is an important concept in the United States

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
6
as in divider
something that divides, separates, or marks off a filing cabinet with lots of adjustable separations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of separation But his forte is creating separation, something 49ers’ receivers struggled to do the last two seasons. Matt Barrows, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026 That separation lends itself to a romantic getaway shaped by long nights and slow mornings. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026 Dear Abby: My wife of 10 years has asked for a separation. Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026 The company has just entered a new era, as separation from Polaris has just recently been completed, and the brand has been acquired by Carolwood LP. New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for separation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separation
Noun
  • Most of this work has focused on improving the materials themselves – reducing dissolution in the electrolyte and increasing electrical conductivity.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Intertextuality is described by Scarlett Barton in perhaps the opposite way, as linked to Roland Barthes’ observation that the author is dead, and that the text is the dissolution of every kind of voice, every beginning and core.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • But only one of them will be able to lay full claim to that distinction once the results on the March 3 primary are in.
    John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Paula Wallace, the founder and president of the Savannah College of Art and Design, can add a new distinction to her résumé.
    James Manso, Footwear News, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The retailers’ stock market performances reflect their sharp divergence in sales results.
    Melissa Repko, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
  • That’s where that divergence really grew throughout the twenty-twenties.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Policymakers globally are increasingly worried that the unequal adoption of AI risks widening income and development gaps between rich and poor countries.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The scandal has exposed a gap in curling’s enforcement technology — handle sensors can’t detect contact with the granite body of the stone — and the sport’s governing body has yet to find a lasting solution, with the Olympics still underway.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • If your departure gate is further afield, take the airport train to the second business class lounge, the lush 7,950-square-foot Al Mourjan The Garden.
    Rachel Morris, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Consider this departure the pop star’s Jenny Humphrey period.
    Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The duffel features zippered compartments on both ends, a mesh internal organization pocket, and a removable divider that bisects the generous main compartment, which is easily accessible via a 270-degree-zippered flap.
    Drew Zieff, Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
  • The map carves more than 70,000 minority residents out of Cleaver’s district and uses Troost Avenue, Kansas City’s historic racial dividing line, as a divider between the 4th and 5th Congressional Districts, The Star previously revealed.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • However, the couple separated in 2017 and Gayheart filed to divorce Dane in 2018, but the split was never finalized.
    Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
  • According to The Times of London, which first reported the split over airbase access, Starmer has denied the use of RAF Fairford in England and Diego Garcia – the British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean – for any strike on Iran.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The show’s reputation for moving television forward on racial issues is partly credited to a season 5 episode in which Hoss helps a Black opera singer (William Marshall) who faces discrimination.
    David Faris, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Worley, now 27, reached a near six-figure settlement in her disability discrimination lawsuit against the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS).
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Separation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separation. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on separation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!